So, I came up with an odd question - Does TAS have any presence in the Zhodani worlds of the Spinward Marches?

[Commander Truestar]

I know I have this "somewhere" in my records.
And, honestly, I'm transferring all the data I have in my "Spinward Marches" spreadsheet to a set of web pages (and I've already done almost half a million characters over 9,000 lines of code)

So, as I work, I don't have the time to check my records and decided to ask you your opinions?

So, would you say TAS does or does not maintain offices or some kind of presence (other than certified and permitted news reporters) in Zhodani space?

 

[TheDark]

I think the implication in CT is that any TAS presence in Zhodani space is minimal at best. Zhodani characters cannot start with TAS membership (per the character creation rules in Alien Module 4 Zhodani and explicitly called out in Adventure 6 Expedition to Zhodane). AM4 also mentions that the Amber/Red advisory system from TAS is not in use in Zhodani space, replaced with Unabsorbed and Forbidden Worlds.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I think the implication in CT is that any TAS presence in Zhodani space is minimal at best.

I'd personally go for a more nuanced interpretation.

The TAS is (rather obviously) based inside the Third Imperium. All reporting is done from Imperial sources referencing Imperial territories (or the border periphery regions around the Third Imperium).

As evidence, try to find TAS reporting via the TNS on developments within foreign polities (Hiver, K'kree, Vargr, Aslan, Solomani, Zhodani) and the number of stories concerning events that do not "have meaning" within the Third Imperium is pretty darn minimal. This strongly implies that the TAS is an Imperial based organization that concerns itself (almost exclusively) with Imperial controlled space.

A quick perusal of the CT Alien Modules shows that there are no TAS memberships available as mustering out benefits to:

• AM1: Aslan
• AM2: K'kree
• AM3: Vargr
• AM4: Zhodani ... except ... they have a counterpart organization, the Legion of Merit (p25-26)
• AM5: Droyne
• AM6: Solomani ... the closest they get to something akin to TAS is a Voucher reward as a mustering out benefit (p15-16) limited to travel within a single sector
• AM7: Hivers
• AM8: Darrians ... the closest they get to something akin to TAS is a Voucher reward as a mustering out benefit (p27-28) limited to travel within the Darrian Confederation (not even an entire subsector!)

So the TAS is pretty clearly a Third Imperium "based" organization and therefore should not be expected to extend (far) beyond Imperial controlled space.

The TAS page on Travellerwiki also supports this interpretation.
They MAY have a presence on worlds with type A-B starports outside the Third Imperium ... but there are No Guarantees™ that this will be the case.

 

[kilemall]

I have no publisher induced insight, but I would think that Zho psionics invokes gut wrenching primal loathing in the same ballpark as meat eaters for Kkree. As such, the prospect of TAS personnel being adjusted would be a serious security and manning threat.

So I would limit TAS to systems with Imperial embassies to support.

 

[Condottiere]

The Confederation closed all branches, and replaced it with the Adventurers' Club, I think.

The Consulate seems unlikely to cater to Travellers, since having the itch to wander around, might be considered a mental illness.

 

[Enoki]

I would think the Zhodani have their own version of it for Zhodani to use. In non-Imperial space, unaligned and small polities might have an office on a pop, say, 7+ Class A starport world simply because there is sufficient membership or reason to do so, but on the whole, I see the TAS as an Imperial thing. You pull into some Class B starport on a TL 6 world with a population of 5, outside the Imperium there isn't going to be a TAS office. In the Imperium, there might be with one guy behind a desk and someone who is counter help in a small storefront office in a rundown strip shopping center somewhere near the starport. You get handed a computer file or maybe some printed material on the local conditions, that says something like, "Mostly harmless," and thanked for your membership.

My view of TAS is it's a quasi-governmental corporation that is something akin to an automobile club where they hand out maps, give you advice about places you might be headed to, and provide some services like passport photos or issue traveler's checks and the like. Their information is geared towards tourists and merchants, not mercenaries and the military.

 

[TheDark]

There are "licensees" for TAS branches outside the Imperium proper - Adventure 6 has Utoland (a non-aligned world with TL-7, Pop 4, and Starport Class C) with a TAS branch that "in this case, the Travellers' Aid Society is an agency branch operated at the starport by a licensee." In this case they also run a basic PO Box system for employers/employees to contact each other. This is the same adventure that says "No [Zhodani] character may receive membership in the Travellers' Aid Society." The combination of those two things is what implies to me that there's little or no presence within Zhodani space, since the adventure has a TAS branch in unaligned space but explicitly excludes any Zhodani character from having membership in TAS.

 

[Enoki]

There are "licensees" for TAS branches outside the Imperium proper - Adventure 6 has Utoland (a non-aligned world with TL-7, Pop 4, and Starport Class C) with a TAS branch that "in this case, the Travellers' Aid Society is an agency branch operated at the starport by a licensee." In this case they also run a basic PO Box system for employers/employees to contact each other. This is the same adventure that says "No [Zhodani] character may receive membership in the Travellers' Aid Society." The combination of those two things is what implies to me that there's little or no presence within Zhodani space, since the adventure has a TAS branch in unaligned space but explicitly excludes any Zhodani character from having membership in TAS.

"Franchiser" would be the best term there. I could see that. The TAS licenses a franchise that has, as part of their business, products put out by the TAS (how up-to-date they are is a matter open to question) on a display rack or the like in their store that otherwise does something that is locally profitable.

I can't see an exclusively TAS store / office on a world that's non-aligned to the Imperium, has TL-7 and less than 10,000 inhabitants with a starport that resembles a 1950's gas station. Instead, there's said rack of merchandise and if you show them your TAS membership, you get a big discount on merch and maybe even fuel. Otherwise, you pay full price. The TAS gets a cut and that costs them really nothing. Of course, if it were me the merchandise would have an "expiration date" that reads something like "Best by (6 years ago)" on it. Sort of like a candy vending machine at a gas station in the middle of nowhere...

I still think that Zhodani would have an equivalent service even if it weren't available in Imperial space. Maybe they franchise too, so when you pull in at said Class C starport and the guy is filling your ship and checking the oil, you see a rack of Zhodani Aid Society merch next to the TAS rack. It's not like either is going to send somebody to check on how you're selling that stuff so long as you pay the franchise fees.

 

[Commander Truestar]

Thank you all for your help!
This has helped form my opinion as I continue building my data file app